Christmas Sanctuary
by smithandbarrowman
Summary: A dream job. A long harboured crush. An opportunity to combine the two. But Hermione is in for quite the surprise when the combination doesn't go quite as planned.
1. Chapter 1

A while ago, our friend** LaBelladoneX** wrote a beautiful story called** "Saving Grace" **and since her life has become crazy busy, we thought we'd surprise her with a little Christmas story based on some of the aspects of that fic.

While her story had a different main pairing, we kept her favourite characters, added some random ones of our own, threw in a couple of fire-breathing dragons, stirred it up a bit and came up with this!

A big thanks also to** coyg_81 **for encouraging the madness xx

And much love to the wonderful** PotionChemist** for writing this with me.

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**Merry Christmas, ****LaBelladoneX**

**Thank you for everything you do for us.**

**xx PotionChemist and smithandbarrowman xx**

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**.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

**Three Days Before Christmas**

* * *

It was almost ten o'clock and Hermione wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep off the fourteen hour shift she'd just endured. But the voice calling her name stopped her in her tracks.

Chadwick Harrington, St Mungo's director, was calling after her. "Healer Granger!"

_Tell him no, Hermione. Whatever he wants, tell him no._

"Healer Granger." He was almost breathless. "So glad I caught you."

"Of course, Sir." Hermione smiled brightly — at least she hoped it was brightly. She wanted to go home, she didn't want another emergency keeping her here for one more minute.

It was three days away from Christmas and the hospital was crazy. She'd worked the night shift and the alcohol-fueled Christmas parties that seemed to be neverending had made her night hell. Drunken broom accidents and several horrific splinchings were the major cause of trauma and she'd spent most of her fourteen hours in the emergency room mending bones and putting bodies back together.

And now all Hermione wanted to do was get home, have a perfectly brewed cup of tea, and then sleep for at least twelve hours. But with Director Harrington standing in front of her, that seemed like a pipe dream.

"Healer Granger, we've had an emergency." His breath was coming back and he looked concerned. "Healer Singh has been hurt and is being rushed to St Luc's in Paris as we speak."

"Is she okay?" Hermione's heart dropped. She didn't know her well, but Aashi Singh was a highly respected healer. Her Dragon Pox research had seen her published in several prominent magical journals.

"She will be. Healer Moreau is taking care of her," he said. "But the Sanctuary is now short a healer."

"Oh, of course." Hermione nodded, and then realisation hit her. "_Oh_!"

"I know it's Christmas, Granger, but we need a healer to replace her, just for a few weeks."

Hermione's stomach flipped. Rodna Dragon Sanctuary in Romania had the best research hospital in Europe housed within its fences. She had long dreamed of being asked to work there, either in the hospital itself or the research lab — she didn't care which — but positions there were so coveted they rarely became available.

A few weeks wasn't much, but it might be the foot in the door she needed.

Plus… Charlie was there.

Well, Charlie _might_ be there.

For the first time since she'd met them, the Weasleys would not be having Christmas at the Burrow. Molly and Arthur had been invited to celebrate with Bill, Fleur, and the Delacours in France. Ginny was already in Italy with Blaise, Percy would be with Audrey's family and George with Angelina's. Ron would be off with Lavender doing… whatever it was that Ron and Lavender did.

And because the family wouldn't be around, Ginny had told her that Charlie had jumped at the chance to trek in South America, looking for the Peruvian Vipertooth that had been spotted several times in the jungles there.

Harry and Pansy had invited Hermione to join them at Pansy's parents, but she'd declined. Christmas had become meaningless since her own parents were no longer with her. Her once favourite holiday had become a day she now dreaded — it was why she always worked. And at the end of her shift she would simply pretend it was just another day.

But now, with this opportunity, it would certainly be easier to forget it was the holidays.

"When would I leave?" Hermione asked, attempting to keep her voice even.

"As soon as possible." Chadwick looked about to burst with relief. "We have a Portkey available and you can leave the minute you're ready."

Hermione glanced at her watch, "An hour?"

"Perfect. My assistant will have everything you need when you return." He smiled and nodded. "Your help is much appreciated, Healer Granger."

"Oh, I'm delighted that I was considered." Hermione's polite response belied her want to punch the air in victory.

She took off down the hallway, the exhaustion of just minutes ago all but disappearing. _Rodna Dragon Sanctuary. Rodna Dragon Sanctuary. _The words repeated over and over inside her head until she stepped out of the floo in her flat and panic set in.

What should she take? What clothes? What… underwear?

Her crush on Charlie had begun when she'd stayed at The Burrow during the summer prior to the Quidditch World Cup. They hadn't known then that the Tri-Wizard Tournament was being held, but Charlie's arrival had caused a stir amongst the younger Weasleys — he was clearly the favourite brother.

Hermione's growing feelings for Ron all but vanished at the first sight of his older brother. Charlie was so different from them all. Stocky and muscular, his skin was tanned, his arms covered with tattoos and scars. His smile was always present, and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief. She remembered clearly the t-shirt he was wearing; Rammstein was printed on it. And when she had timidly asked him about it, her love of hard rock and metal music began.

And her crush on Charlie never diminished. Her short-lived romance with Ron was a disaster. Every time Ron kissed her, she couldn't help imagining that it was Charlie, and her constant comparisons weren't fair to Ron. And when she broke it off after just a few weeks, the relief was palpable. Ron turned to Lavender — the pair much better suited — and she turned to constant fantasies involving Charlie.

It was, however, a rarity that she got to see him, but they communicated regularly through the owl post, and the occasions when he would pop into St Mungos with Dragon Scales for the potion department, were occasions that she cherished.

But it had been months since she'd heard from him, and she knew if she asked Ginny more than a few times how he was doing, her friend would suspect something was up. So she kept quiet, all the time wondering why he'd stopped sending owls, wondering if she was too late, that he'd found some woman who was more adventurous and daring than she would ever be.

She sighed, flicking her wand over her suitcase and murmuring an Extension Charm. She emptied her entire wardrobe into it, and her cheeks reddened as she imagined stripping for Charlie, showing him the underwear she was now shoving unceremoniously into the bag.

It would do no good to worry, she told herself. There would be a perfectly sensible reason he'd not written. And she was sure she would see him in just a few hours, sure that she could somehow make him see her as more than the bookworm he had named her as.

Sure that she would find the perfect man waiting for her when she arrived.

* * *

When her Portkey arrived at the Dragon Sanctuary, Hermione landed roughly and nearly toppled over. Luckily for her, there was a pair of strong arms there to catch her, and they were covered in scars and tattoos. She'd fantasised about those arms hundreds of times, and she knew they belonged to Charlie Weasley. When she looked up, his blue eyes sparkled down at her.

"Pages! I can't believe you've come to work here!" he greeted, squeezing her in a tight hug.

Hermione relaxed into his embrace and savoured the feel of his muscular body against hers. "I wouldn't pass up the chance to spend time with my favourite Weasley," she teased, trying to flirt even though she felt a bit awkward.

His face fell, and he released her. "Didn't Ginny tell you? I'm off to South America on holiday while you're here… Well, sort of a working holiday, but I'm still going to be gone for quite awhile."

"She did, but I thought you might…" She paused, unsure of how to continue.

Should she be bold and just say, "I thought you might like to stay and shag me for the entire time I'm here" or "I've been infatuated with you for so long that I was hoping you returned my feelings" or…?

He snapped her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry, Pages, but this really can't wait. There is a Peruvian Vipertooth that needs to be tracked down as soon as possible. It's been sighted by Muggles a few times now." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You know I'd stay and spend time with you if it wasn't important."

Hermione nodded. "I was just hoping there would be someone I knew around. That's all."

"I've asked the other dragon keepers to watch out for you, but I'm sure they'll adopt you and adore you as soon as they meet you. Just ask them to teach you about dragons, and you're in." After a moment, he continued, "And I guess I'd better tell you before we get upstairs. There's someone else here who's going to be excited to see you—"

He was cut off by the appearance of a wildly exuberant Sirius Black. "Hermione! It's so good to see you, love!"

She smiled and hugged him, as well. "Aren't you supposed to be in China? Or Thailand or something?"

He ran a hand through his dark wavy hair. "Well, I ran into Charlie here and got a bit sidetracked with my world tour."

Mentally calculating how long Sirius had been gone, Hermione's eyes widened. "You haven't been here for nearly six months, have you?"

Both men let out laughs — Charlie's deep and rumbling, and Sirius' still sounding a bit like a bark to her ears.

"As a matter of fact, I have, kitten," Sirius confessed.

Hermione looked between the two men, and Charlie moved closer to Sirius, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I take it Ginny didn't tell you we were together?"

Her heart plummeted and felt like it had smashed against the floor. The years of pining, the fantasies, the ridiculous way she compared all other men to Charlie — it was all for nothing. He was with Sirius, and it seemed other people knew about it, as well.

_When I get my hands on Ginevra Zabini…_

"Pages, we've only told the family," Charlie explained, reading her expression. "This is… new for both of us, and we're still adjusting. That's why we're going on holiday at Christmas instead of going back to England. We're not ready to share it with the world."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Right. I understand that, of course, Charlie. Especially with the size of your family and all the publicity after the war. It wouldn't be kept quiet long."

"Are you okay, kitten? You look upset, and I didn't take you for the type to be put off by this."

"Oh, Sirius, I'm not. I'm sorry if it seemed that way. I'm just surprised, and I've not slept much. I came here straight after a long shift at the hospital," Hermione answered. "I'm honestly so happy for both of you."

Sirius embraced her again, picking her up off the floor. "Good, because I haven't been this happy in a very long time."

He passed her off to Charlie, and they walked quietly to her hospital quarters. "I know it's probably hard for you around this time of year, with your parents being gone and everyone being married—"

"I'm fine," she said quickly, cutting him off. "I'll obviously be working so there's no need to worry, Charlie."

"I'm just trying to say, I kind of know what it's like to feel like the last man — or woman, in your case — standing."

Hermione sighed. Those words made her feel even more pathetic, even though she knew he was trying to help. And she really was so happy for him and Sirius, but the feeling of rejection was still fresh in her mind.

"Thank you, Charlie. It's definitely not easy," she replied, knowing she had to answer. "But being here will help."

Smiling at her, he said, "And who knows, there are lots of single blokes working here. You might even get to have some fun."

Hermione's mind started to spin at the thought. Maybe all those racy knickers and lingerie she'd packed wouldn't sit unused in the bottom of her suitcase after all.

"Maybe. At the very least, I'll get to check out the research that's going on here, so my mind will most definitely be busy."

Charlie stopped and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Do not get lost in the books, Pages. Have a good time. Go out with the others. There is a lounge in the dragon keepers' quarters. Go there and have drinks and spend time with people. Do not be a hermit!"

Hermione laughed, knowing she could very easily do just that — hide out in her room with nothing but research notes and a bottle of wine.

"I'll give being social a go," she said. "But I'm not going to promise I'll do it every day."

"Fair enough," Charlie said, wrapping his arm around her and continuing towards the hospital wing. When he got to the healers' quarters, he opened the door to room number seven. "The rooms here aren't as big as the dragon keepers, especially for visiting healers. Sorry about that."

"I'll make do. I'll be working a lot anyway, I'm sure," she answered. "Are you and Sirius all packed up and ready to go?"

Charlie checked his watch. "Yeah. Portkey leaves in an hour. I was going to recheck everything, but if you need someone to show you around, I can do it."

"No, go get ready! I'll wander around later and learn the place on my own. It'll be better that way."

"You sure?" he asked. "It's easy to get lost here."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I have a wand. Don't you know the _Point Me_ spell? I taught it to Harry in fourth year."

Laughing once more, Charlie hugged her. "You're too smart for your own good, Pages. Hopefully I'll be back before you leave, and you'll have quite the affair to tell me about."

"We'll see," she said, a blush burning her cheeks.

_I had been planning to have quite the affair with you, and that didn't really pan out._

Charlie kissed the top of her head and left her on her own once more. With a resigned sigh, she began unpacking her suitcase, tucking all the knickers into the back of one drawer.

* * *

After settling into her quarters, Hermione had several hours to kill before she was considered on shift. Rather than trying to sleep — a feat that would be damn near impossible currently — she decided to wander the grounds of the sanctuary to familiarise herself with her temporary home. As she roamed through the large building, she felt herself calming down. Her embarrassment about her feelings for Charlie was starting to fade; there was no way she ever would've guessed he was gay. At the very least, she knew now and could let go of the crush she'd harboured for so long.

Glancing around, she found signs much like the ones present in St Mungo's, and thank the Gods, they were written in English. Hermione knew she could go anywhere on the grounds, but she didn't fancy stumbling across a dragon on her own. While she felt she could handle her own in most situations, that certainly was one where she'd be at a loss. Reading the sign, she saw she could either head towards the Visitor Centre or Dragon Keepers' Areas.

"I wonder if I know any of the other dragon keepers," she thought to herself, trying to recall any students who had moved on to NEWT level Care of Magical Creatures.

Figuring it couldn't hurt to check, she headed away from the Visitor Centre and down towards the dragon keepers, hoping someone would be around during the holidays. Maybe they could teach her a thing or two about dragons that she didn't already know, and she was still eager to learn something new whenever she could. However, as she roamed the hallways, it seemed like a ghost town.

The doors were labeled with numbers rather than names, obscuring the identities of the dragon keepers. She watched as the numbers kept rising, and before she knew it, she was nearing the end of the hallway. The final door was labeled with a silver number 20, and she deduced there were likely only twenty keepers at maximum.

She was left with the option to turn left or right, and she looked both ways. To the right, there was a lounge area. Couches, armchairs, a bar, a pool table… It definitely looked like a place that would normally be occupied. However, it was vacant today. With a sigh, she turned around and looked straight ahead. What she saw nearly took her breath away. There was a large balcony, partially open air and partially closed off and likely climate controlled, but it boasted floor-to-ceiling windows. It overlooked the grounds of the sanctuary, and Hermione was shocked to see dragons of all breeds just wandering around. She stepped up to the railing and wished she had a set of binoculars handy so she could take in more of her surroundings.

"Duh, Hermione, you're a witch," she mumbled to herself, removing her wand from her pocket and conjuring a set.

A chuckle sounded from behind her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Still forgetting you have magic, Granger? That really makes me question the title of Brightest Witch of the Age."

She'd know that taunting drawl anywhere.

Why was Draco Malfoy at the dragon sanctuary?


	2. Chapter 2

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**CHAPTER 2**

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Hermione was staring wide-eyed at Draco. She'd not seen him since the end of the war. No one had. Everyone assumed he had gone into hiding and was living off the Malfoy fortune.

His thick leather jacket covered a simple black t-shirt that was so well worn it was fraying at the neck and hem. Dark jeans that, of course, sat perfectly on his hips, and heavy boots that were battered and scuffed, reminded her more of Charlie, than of the suit-wearing Draco Malfoy.

And he looked so different. His skin was tanned and his white-blonde hair had grown darker — she had to assume from his days outside with the dragons. And he had a scar that ran from his jaw and down the side of his neck.

"I work here. Have done for a few years now." He smiled at her — actually smiled — and leaned on the railing beside her. "It's not a bad place to live."

Hermione looked back out over the vast sanctuary and had to agree with him. Everything she'd seen so far _was_ stunning.

"And working with dragons—" Draco's eyes flicked to the sky, "—has been incredible. Charlie Weasley has taught me more than I ever could have learned in school."

Hermione reached out and shoved her finger into his arm. "Draco Malfoy, right?"

He laughed, "I know. Most people have the same reaction when they see me here."

"How _did_ you end up here?"

"I started in the hospital research lab," he grinned at her incredulous expression. "I know positions are extremely rare, and I'm not saying it did happen, but _maybe_ my father made a sizeable donation to the potions department, and _maybe_ they offered me a position there."

"Must be nice to have money…" Hermione looked away from him, shaking her head.

"In this case, definitely." He laughed again at her expression. "I find honesty is the best option these days. And my father's donation allowed me to get away from everything and everyone. It allowed me to hide after the war and simply work like everyone else did. I wouldn't have had that chance if I stayed in Britain. Was it unfair?" He shrugged. "Of course it was, but since I've been here, everything has changed."

Hermione had to agree. Never did she imagine that she'd ever be standing on a balcony overlooking a dragon sanctuary with Draco Malfoy talking to her like they'd been friends their entire lives.

"So, if your father got you the job in the hospital, how did you end up out here?"

"The research lab was — _is_ — exceptional. And it gave me a chance to learn without the public scrutiny. But, I met Charlie when he came in with some horrific burns, and we got to talking, and I slowly changed professions. I don't go off-site though. I care for the dragons that are brought here. I don't…" He leaned his forearms on the railing and frowned at the grounds before him.

Hermione watched as his frown grew deeper. His need for privacy, for quiet, to hide away from the world outside, was clear. She was surprised he had approached her.

"Draco, you don't have to explain." Hermione touched his arm lightly and he turned to look at her. "What happened, happened, but it's in the past. And that's where it will remain. I'm just glad you've found the place where you belong."

"It's taken some time," he admitted. "But Charlie has been an incredible teacher. His knowledge is vast, and he has an unbelievable ability to know what a dragon is thinking."

Hermione's shock at his praise of one of the Weasleys was short lived. The loud screeching of a dragon rattled the windows behind her, and she almost stumbled backwards as the enormous creature came into view.

"That's Grace," Draco said, lifting his hand to shield his eyes from the bright glare bouncing off the snow.

Hermione was watching him closely as the dragon approached. His face lit up and he stepped closer to the rail.

"Hey girl!" he shouted and a stream of flames curled from the dragon's mouth. "Come and meet my friend!"

"Draco… what are you…?" Hermione backed away as the dragon flew closer. "That's a dragon."

"I know," Draco laughed. "She's coming to say hello. I've not seen her for a few days."

The dragon landed with a heavy thud on the cobbled stones of the square two stories below. Steam poured from the creature's nostrils, and the thump of its feet shook the ground as it moved forward to place its enormous head on the railing.

Hermione gasped as Draco reached out and touched the dragon's scaly skin.

"Hey, sweetheart. Where have you been?" He chuckled as the dragon huffed at him. "You've been chasing boy dragons again, haven't you? I told you stay away from them, young lady."

Hermione gaped. This was _not_ the Draco she remembered. This man was happy, smiling and laughing, and appearing to have become a surrogate parent to a Whitby Wyrm.

"This is my friend, Hermione." Draco gestured for her to come closer, but Hermione stayed rooted to the spot. "But I think she's scared of you."

The dragon lifted her head, a tendril of smoke curled around her snout, and she made a whimpering sound, as if begging for Hermione to come closer.

"Come on, Granger, where's that Gryffindor courage?" Draco ran his hand over the dragon's snout, "Besides, Grace is harmless."

"Harmless?" Hermione tried to keep the rising panic out of her voice, "She breathes fire, Draco. One sneeze and they'll be sweeping our ashes from the floor."

"Dragons don't sneeze," Draco deadpanned.

"Draco—"

"If Hagrid asked you to pet a dragon when we were at school, would you have?"

Hermione pursed her lips. Of course she would have, but that was at school, and Hagrid was a teacher.

"Fine," she said, and took a tentative step forward. And then another. And another, until she was close enough to hold her hand up for the dragon to sniff her.

Another tendril of smoke escaped the creature and Hermione jumped back.

"She's just teasing," Draco chuckled and scratched the dragon's head. "Be a good girl, Gracie. Granger is very kind, and very smart, and despite being terrified, she's truly intrigued by you."

Draco was staring directly at her as he spoke the words, and Hermione was shocked that he knew her so well.

Grace made another huffing sound and shuffled closer to the building, stretching her neck, inviting Hermione to touch her.

Hermione reached out once again, her fingertips just touching the rough scales on Grace's snout.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's like armour."

"Exactly," Draco said. "The nose scales are much more tightly overlapped. Protects them from burning themselves. The skin on her neck is much softer."

Hermione nodded, still unable to believe she was this close to a live dragon.

"Hello, Grace," she whispered, terrified if she spoke louder the dragon would turn on her, and then gasped again as she ran her hand across the smooth scales on Grace's neck.

"The skin is still thick, but the scales are wider to allow for freer movement," Draco explained. "But, because of that, it's also the most vulnerable area."

Hermione continued to run her hand across the smooth scales, and she swore the dragon purred as she did so.

Draco smiled as Hermione took a step back and Grace nudged gently at her hand. "Gracie likes you, Granger."

"Well, I like her too." Hermione touched the dragon's snout once more, this time not bothered by the huff of smoke. "How is she like this?"

"Tame, you mean?" Draco asked and Hermione nodded. "Charlie found her abandoned as an infant, and while law states infant dragons which are abandoned must be left abandoned, he couldn't help himself and brought her here. She was the first dragon I took care of."

Hermione instantly understood the excitement in his eyes when the dragon had first appeared. She was something he had been responsible for, something that hadn't judged him, something that was his.

"She's absolutely gorgeous, Draco," Hermione said still rubbing the creature's nose. "You should be incredibly proud of her, and yourself."

A deafening screech sounded in the distance, and Grace's head jolted up so quickly, Hermione stumbled. Draco arms were around her in a split second, stopping her from tumbling to the ground.

"Grace!" Draco scolded, but the dragon had turned away and was already preparing to take flight. She glanced back at him, let out an ear-splitting screech of her own, and was airborne in seconds. "I think my girl has discovered boys."

Hermione laughed. "So that was a male calling her then?"

"Yeah. She's been returning less frequently of late. It was three days this time, five before that." Draco shrugged, "It was bound to happen, I guess."

Hermione watched as Grace flew further and further away. Another larger dragon appeared on the horizon, and Grace's excited screams filled the air.

"Boys," Draco murmured, and it was only then that Hermione realised his arms were still wrapped around her.

"Yeah, boys," she said dryly and arched her eyebrows in amusement.

"Oh, right," Draco laughed nervously and released her from his grip. "Sorry."

"It's perfectly fine," she told him. "I certainly appreciate not being thrown to the ground and cracking my head open. I'm here to work in the hospital, not be a patient."

"I'm glad I could help." Draco's cheeks tinged pink and his eyes darted to his feet. "Are you working tonight?"

She looked at her watch, "My shift starts at seven. I wanted to have a quick look around, but I really do need to try to have a few hours sleep before I start."

Draco nodded. "Can I walk you back to your room?"

Hermione smiled. "That's very chivalrous of you, Mr Malfoy. Thank you."

* * *

Hermione was at the end of her first hospital shift, and no one had come in during the entire twelve hours to seek treatment. Most of the research projects were on hold until after the holidays, and the whole sanctuary was basically a ghost town. Luckily, there were advanced medical texts she'd never seen before in the hospital's library, so she had spent her time reading through them.

For obvious reasons, the Sanctuary had books upon books with different remedies for magical burns, creature-created lacerations, and trauma assessment. Some of them were written in Romanian, but she had long ago learned a translation charm so she could read anything that struck her fancy.

She had been sitting at a desk, reading about an old Romanian burn-soothing balm concocted from several different herbs and plants, for hours. Standing to stretch, she looked at the clock once more. _The other healer should be here in less than ten minutes_, she thought to herself. Was it so much to ask for an injury to treat? A minor illness she needed to grab a potion for?

The Rodna Sanctuary Hospital was smaller than St Mungo's — much smaller. Only five rooms, two smaller emergency cubicles and a small waiting area made up the entire hospital. The research lab, however, was beyond impressive. Several different research studies were in progress and each was assigned its own space, as well as three separate potion labs. And the library was spectacular. And as much as she would have loved to explore the labs, her assignment was the hospital. It might have been considered the best — and she was sure it was when there were actual patients — but she was wondering if the title of 'best hospital' was due to the research being done.

"What in the name of Merlin am I going to do for the next three weeks?" she asked aloud.

A chuckle came from the doorway. "You know, Granger, most healers here are happy for slow days. It means no one's been maimed by a dragon."

Feeling her face flush, she turned towards Malfoy. "I know, and I'm glad no one's been attacked, I'm just so bloody bored. There is no one around, and no active research going on. I've just been reading all day. I'm used to being constantly swamped at St. Mungo's."

"It's definitely a quieter life up here, until it's not and something catastrophic happens," he said, and she wanted to slap a hand over his mouth for tempting fate. When she didn't say anything in return, he continued. "So you're off at seven, right?"

She looked at him skeptically. "I am. How do you know that?"

"The shifts run seven to seven every day, Granger. It's not hard for me to keep track of," he teased.

"I see you're still a little bit of a prat at least. Not completely reformed."

He grinned at her. "What fun would that be? Anyway, I was thinking, when—" he peeked at the roster "—Dawson gets here, we could go and get something to eat... if you wanted to."

Hermione wasn't sure what to say. She'd enjoyed their conversation on the balcony, but she still had trouble trusting that this was Draco Malfoy and he'd really changed so much. Her indecision must have been written across her face because his cheeks blushed the smallest bit and he averted his eyes.

Instantly feeling remorseful, she said, "That would be nice. I thought I'd be alone for most of the time I was here."

When he looked up at her again, his expression was more guarded. "You really don't have to. I just thought, after we talked on the balcony... I thought we might have more in common than we've ever really admitted."

Hermione nodded and started clearing off her desk, keeping her hands busy while they talked. "I felt the same way, too. It's just a bit strange, you know? It's going to take me a few days to adjust."

Draco cleared his throat. "Great, so I'll just… wait in the hall?"

Laughing, she said, "I don't think that's necessary. I don't have much to report when he gets here. I haven't done a single thing all night, and I'm sure you know most of the staff here anyway."

"Right. Well, finish clearing up and I'll just sit in the waiting area until you're done."

She almost laughed again, his awkwardness was so unlike the old him it was almost endearing. He'd even been more confident, more like the Malfoy she remembered, when they'd first spoken on the balcony. She supposed he needed a bit of time to adjust, as well.

After handing the reins over to Dawson for the day shift, Hermione walked towards him. He was picking at a loose thread on the hem of his t-shirt, and she observed him for a moment.

_If only pompous, suit-wearing Draco Malfoy could travel through time and see himself now_, she thought to herself.

While sixteen year old Draco would certainly hate this version of himself, Hermione found it to be a vast improvement. He didn't put on airs of false bravado or ooze superiority. He was just a normal person.

Stepping even closer, she said, "I'm ready to go."

He nearly jumped out of his seat, and she couldn't help but smile. He offered her his arm, his pureblood manners still ingrained, and she took it, even though it all felt a bit surreal.

"I'm afraid we're just going to eat here. There's not much near the sanctuary, and I'm sure you're tired after working all night," he said.

With a shrug, she said, "That's fine with me. It's just breakfast after all."

When they reached the dining area, an elf wearing a uniform emblazoned with the saunctuary's crest ran to their table, taking their order.

"So," Draco began, "I've told you about what I've been up to after the war. What have you been doing, besides becoming a healer?"

Words that normally caught in her throat came easy while she was talking to Draco. "After I took my NEWTs and finished the healer training program at St Mungo's, I transferred to a wizarding hospital in Australia for a couple of years. I was working with a very specialised mind healer for a while."

"Why Australia?" he asked, seemingly interested.

She let out a breath. "I don't normally tell people this—"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he interrupted, and it made her feel even more comfortable talking to him.

Shaking her head, she said, "No, no. It's fine, Draco. I feel like you might actually understand. Most people I meet, well, they don't really understand what it was like to be so involved in the war." After a pause, she met his eyes and continued. "Before I left with Harry and Ron, I Obliviated my parents. I erased my entire existence from their memories to protect them."

She saw the shock cross his features, completely unmasked. When they had been in school, he was always so hard to read, his façade rarely slipping. "I… don't really know what to say. That's — I'm so sorry, Granger."

"So, after the battle, I went to Australia. Ron came with me, of course, and we located them. I took them to the nearest magical hospital and explained the situation. They tried to reverse the charm, and they just couldn't. Nor could I, for that matter. The healers advised me to let them continue living the lives they had been during the war. They quite enjoyed Australia, so I left them there and returned to England."

The elf popped back into view, bringing them a tea service and letting them know their food would be out soon. Hermione quickly made herself a cup and sipped it.

An uncomfortable silence had settled between them. When he finally spoke, it seemed a bit forced. "And was Weasley with you the whole time?"

"Um, no, he wasn't. After the first two weeks, he came back. His family was mourning Fred and he and Harry went right into Auror training," she answered, still feeling the sting of his departure years later.

Draco watched her closely, likely reading her open expressions. "But you wanted him to stay."

"I didn't want to be alone while I tried to figure it all out," she admitted. "Ron was… a bad choice of companion. If I'd brought Harry, he would've stayed with me."

"But you and Weasley, you got together right after the battle if I remember the headlines correctly."

"We did," she confirmed.

Looking nervous, he asked, "And now?"

"And now what?"

He made eye contact. "Are you still together now?"

Hermione nearly laughed. "Oh, Gods, no! Honestly, it ended while I was in healer training. He thought I didn't make enough time for him."

Malfoy's shoulders visibly relaxed, and she was surprised she hadn't noticed how tense he'd been sooner. When their food arrived, he asked, "So what happened next?"

"I sat for NEWTs instead of going back to Hogwarts and joined the training program at St Mungo's in the fall. It was all very quick."

After swallowing the bite he'd just taken, he said, "Sounds like it. I'm sure healer training was demanding."

Hermione chuckled, telling him anecdotes about interesting and funny cases from St Mungo's while they ate. She kept to the less squeamish ones, not knowing how Malfoy handled medical talk. He laughed and commented in all the appropriate places, seemingly sharing her sense of humour and thinking along the same lines as she did.

When she reached the end of healer training stories, she moved back into their serious conversation. "So once I was through, I moved to Australia and worked in the wizarding hospital there. I visited my parents from time to time and took them in for appointments when I could. Their conditions never improved, and no further advancements have been made. After about two years, I gave up." She sighed and continued. "I decided to go back to England because it was far too difficult for me to see them on a regular basis and have them not know who I was."

"I can't even begin to understand what that must be like," he said. "My father has many faults, but I still love him and I can't imagine what I'd feel like if he didn't know me."

Hermione gave him a sad smile. "Thank you for not drawing some inane parallel to show me I'm not alone in my suffering."

Her hand was resting on the table, and he reached across and squeezed it. "I would never, Granger. Your situation is, I'm sure, incredibly unique."

She expected him to let go immediately, but he didn't. And for whatever reason, she didn't let go right away, either, taking comfort in his touch for a few seconds longer. When she did release his hand, it was so she could lift her teacup back to her lips.

He smiled at her, and it seemed genuine. "So, who's the Golden Girl dating these days, then?"

With a small chuckle, she replied, "I haven't dated in quite some time. I'm always working lately. St. Mungo's is woefully understaffed. What about you?"

"Well, my favourite female around here is definitely Grace," he began, a teasing tone in his voice. "You see, there aren't many female dragon keepers, and most of the healers are men — the only two females are already married, and I don't leave the sanctuary much."

Hermione grinned at his awkwardness.

"Well, we should go out into town while I'm here!" she suggested. "Charlie told me I'm not allowed to be a hermit. I'm going to assume he'd say the same to you."

He looked at her skeptically. "Maybe. We'll see."

After breakfast, Draco walked her back to her quarters, grabbing and squeezing her hand once more before departing. Once inside, she closed the door and leaned against it, squeezing her eyes shut. When she did, she saw flashes of the genuine smile he'd worn and his concern when she'd told him about her parents. It was all so different from the sneers and jeers she remembered from Hogwarts.

Had she really just had a civilised meal and good conversation with Malfoy?


	3. Chapter 3

**.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

**Two Days Before Christmas**

* * *

"Now, Draco! Go, go, go!"

Hermione's stomach clenched and her heart thumped hard against her ribs as Axel Alvarez — the lead dragon keeper — zoomed around the head of the Swedish Short-Snout on a broom in an attempt to distract it, and yelled for Draco to head straight towards the roaring beast.

She was watching from the relative safety of the thick forest of trees as the injured dragon roared and limped around the clearing. Draco had explained they had found it roaming the sanctuary a week prior, they knew it was injured, but were unsure of the severity, and they'd not been able to get close enough to find out. But when it was spotted on the ground in the massive clearing that morning, it became a mad scramble to get to it.

And now it seemed it couldn't take flight, and apparently that was the best time to take it on.

She gasped as Draco didn't hesitate, dashing towards the massive dragon, sliding to a stop and throwing himself over its injured foot. She winced — visions of the razor-sharp claws tearing him in half flashed through her mind — but Draco didn't seem concerned.

"Roman!" Draco yelled for the third keeper, who followed the same path Draco had taken, sprinting towards the thrashing foot and dumping a thick, smoking potion over the wound.

The dragon roared, blue flames shooting into the air, narrowly missing Axel as he steered the broom sideways and out of the raging dragon's path.

Draco and Roman dropped to the ground as the dragon took flight, and Hermione held her breath as they raced across the field, headed for the cover of the dense trees on the opposite side. Axel dove from the sky, his broom almost vertical as he disappeared into the tops of the trees, just as Draco and Roman leaped out of the path of more blue flames as the dragon flew low across the field in pursuit of them.

Hermione managed to breathe again only when the pair vanished between the solid tree trunks, and the dragon headed skyward, in the most graceful swoop upwards, and over the treetops.

She yelped in surprise when the three men appeared beside her just seconds later. They were all grinning like loons, faces red with exertion and sweat dripping from their foreheads.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed. "You do that every day?"

"Pretty much," Roman said with a nod and wiped his arm across his brow. "Although, that one was easy."

"Easy?" Hermione almost choked, "_That_ was easy?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah, he was a juvenile, only about three-quarters grown. He'll be a challenge when he's full size though. He's already got some fight in him."

Hermione turned back to look up at the sky, the dragon had disappeared, and she shook her head. "He wasn't full grown?"

"Nope," Roman glanced towards the sky, his face thoughtful. "Probably about another six or eight feet to go. Possibly a few more. Short-Snouts average about twenty-two feet full grown, but I reckon he might go a tad over that."

Hermione glanced between them and huffed out a laugh. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Axel grinned and squeezed her shoulder. "We have to be, love, otherwise the dragons would die out. That wound was from a muggle helicopter. Must've gotten too close, blades tore the poor bugger's foot to pieces."

"And the potion?"

"Basic healing remedy," Draco explained. "Fast acting, seals and disinfects the wound almost instantly, and the dragon only feels a slight burn for a few seconds."

"But those few seconds are the most terrifying." Roman laughed at her panicked expression and thumbed in Draco's direction. "Don't worry, we'll send this one home safely, make sure his pretty face isn't damaged. Charlie would kill us if we didn't."

"Oh, ah…" Hermione's cheeks flushed and she glanced quickly at Draco who was staring at his feet. "So, ah, will the dragon be alright?"

"Hopefully," Axel said with a shrug. "He took off perfectly after the potion was administered, but if he doesn't hang around, we'll most likely never know."

"And we've not got a female Short-Snout here at the moment, so there's no reason for him to stay." Roman added with a wink. "No point hanging around if there aren't any pretty girls."

"Please excuse Roman, his wife is in Italy and he's lonely." Draco glared pointedly at him.

"Speaking of," Roman wiggled his eyebrows, "I have a floo call with her in a few, must go clean up."

Hermione didn't dare look at Draco as Roman Disapparated away. _Send him home safely?_ _What had he told them? What had Charlie told them? _

"My exit will be a little more polite," Axel said with a charming smile. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, and please, feel free to join us any time, Hermione."

"Thank you." Hermione returned his smile, "Although, I'm not sure I could watch that again, my heart almost stopped."

Axel laughed, "All in a day's work, love." He nodded at Draco, "You can come and sign the reports later, Draco. I'm sure Hermione would like to see more of the sanctuary."

"Ah, yeah… sure," Draco mumbled and watched his boss nod and disappear with a pop. He turned and smiled awkwardly at Hermione. "I'm sorry about Roman. He has a one-track mind."

"It's fine," Hermione assured him. "You met me for breakfast yesterday, and today, they probably just assumed…"

Draco ran a hand nervously through his hair, and Hermione gasped, noticing the large scratch on the back of his hand.

"I guess I understand now why you need a hospital here." She took his hand and twisted it gently, first one way and then the other, examining the wound.

"Yeah, it's hairy sometimes." He shrugged, "You're bound to get a scratch or two."

"We should get this cleaned up." Hermione said, still holding his hand. "This could easily get infected. Merlin knows what kind of parasites a dragon is carrying on its body."

"It's just a scratch, Granger. I've had worse." Draco watched as Hermione's eyes flicked to the scar on his jaw and neck. He ran his hand across his jaw. "Newly hatched Hungarian Horntail. They're born fighting and I wasn't watching. Tore my skin open with one swipe of its claw, and I spent a week in the hospital for it."

Unthinking, Hermione lifted her hand to his face, tracing her fingertips along the roughened skin of the jagged scar. Draco turned into her touch, his eyes finding hers as she followed the line down his neck, pushing at the collar of his t-shirt.

"It goes further?"

Draco nodded, "All the way to my shoulder."

"_Draco_," Hermione winced. "It must have been excruciating."

"It was." He smiled at her, noting her hand was still resting on his neck. "But there were no adverse effects. No nasty bugs or bacteria. Newly hatched dragons don't carry diseases."

"How _newly hatched_ was it?"

"About three minutes."

"What!?" Hermione gasped in shock. That a baby dragon could do such damage was amazing and not very sweet at all.

"It was a shock to everyone," Draco said. "But it was the very first time a Horntail was hatched by the keepers. They've hatched out in the sanctuary, but the egg was found in a fire pit, the embers keeping it just hot enough, and since Horntail eggs vary in colour and size, Axel brought it back without knowing what species it was, and, voila, we learned a new fact about Horntails."

"At your expense." Hermione looked down at the wound on his hand. "This is more than a scratch, Draco, and I won't allow you another scar on my watch."

Draco opened his mouth to protest, but the pull of Apparition silenced him as they headed, he suspected, for the hospital.

* * *

"This really isn't necessary, Granger," Draco said. "It's not that bad."

She shot him a glare that clearly said 'shut up and let me do this' and he clamped his mouth shut. He knew that look. He'd seen it often enough when they were at school, and he knew better than to argue.

Watching her as she studied the wound, and despite his bravado, he had to admit that she was right. It _was_ more than a scratch. He'd not even felt when it happened, too caught up in the adrenaline rush of tackling the dragon. But now that rush had worn off, the torn skin and flesh was more than a little painful.

Not much had changed with her. She was still studious, still determined. Still pushy. But he would never have imagined that she would actually be taking care of him in the manner she was. Yes, she'd taken the Healer's Oath, but she could have quite easily allowed the healer on duty to clean and heal his wound. Instead, she was meticulously ensuring that the skin would knit and heal with minimal scarring.

"Fuck!" Draco swore, wincing at the burn of the healing potion.

Hermione looked at him, "Suck it up, Malfoy. I'm not going to let you behave the way you did when Buckbeak scratched your arm in third year."

Her statement just solidified his previous thoughts — she hadn't changed much and definitely wouldn't take any of his shite. With a grin, he replied, "I really was quite the actor as a child, and my father bought into it every single time. He never even questioned anything I told him." She shook her head as she watched the potion work, but he saw her fighting a smile. "I was a complete and utter tool, and the smartest thing you ever did was stand up to me."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Malfoy."

Of course he already knew that. She had never been the type of girl to be swayed by empty words or pretty gifts. She held his hand in both of hers and started manipulating it, making sure the skin had fully sealed. Once she was sure it had, she grabbed her wand and cast an _Aguamenti _over it, rinsing away any remnants of the potion.

Handing him a small cloth, she said, "Dab it dry. Don't wipe at it. I'm going to grab a balm from the storeroom to protect the new skin cells from the sun and whatever else."

The healer on duty stopped her, and Draco watched as they talked. She smiled and laughed, likely at his expense since her eyes darted over to him more than once, and continued walking toward the storeroom. When she slipped from view, he thought back to the conversation he'd had with Charlie Weasley just before she'd arrived.

"_So St Mungo's is sending a replacement healer for Singh."_

_Draco had shrugged, not caring about who St Mungo's sent as long as they were well-trained and could keep their head in a crisis. He figured it must be someone they both knew if Charlie was bringing it up, but he wasn't going to ask._

"_Hermione Granger will be here in a few hours," he said casually. "I know you two didn't get on at school—"_

_Draco immediately went on the defensive. "You know what my parents were like! They basically taught me to behave that way towards Muggle-borns." _

_Charlie nodded. "I know, Draco. Just hear me out. I know that she's had a bit of a crush on me since she was just a kid, and obviously nothing will ever come of that. She's like a little sister to me. The holidays have been hard for her since the war, and I won't get into why because it's not my story to tell, but she's going to come up here and try to hide herself away. I'm sure every member of my family has asked her to join them, and she's refused."_

_His mind had started spinning, wondering how Hermione Granger could possibly have nothing better to do, nowhere better to go, on Christmas. She was beloved by the whole wizarding world, and even most of the purebloods would likely love to take her out. Hell, he would love to take her out. He'd always wanted to._

"_I know this is asking a lot, and I know it may be hard for you to get her to trust you, but see if you can get her to interact with people a bit. I know she's dreamed of coming to work here for a long time. She wants to get in on the research, and she's obviously a damn good healer," Charlie said._

_Draco ran a hand through his fringe. "I'll try, Charlie."_

_Charlie gripped his shoulder in that big brotherly way that Draco had become accustomed to. "You've changed, Draco. And when she gets here, she'll immediately see that. And I think you'll do more than try." _

"_More than try?" Draco frowned and Charlie laughed. _

"_She's smart, and sassy," Charlie grinned. "And incredibly beautiful. It's hard to not be enamoured by her."_

"_If I'm honest about it, it was hard not to be enamoured by her when we were younger, though I made sure to hide that from everyone at Hogwarts," Draco confessed. "I just hope she'll be willing to give me a chance to even be her friend while she's here. I wouldn't blame her if she didn't."_

_Charlie seemed to get lost in his own thoughts for a few moments. "Just surprise her. Catch her off guard. Be yourself — tease her in a good-natured sort of way — but be open and honest with her. Tell her how you got started here because I'm sure she'll want to know."_

_Draco nodded. It wouldn't be hard to talk about any of that, and teasing Granger came naturally to him. He could do this — he would do this. _

When Hermione got back from the store room, she took his hand again and gently massaged the balm into his skin.

"Okay, this should help protect the skin and complete the healing process. I'd be surprised if you ended up with another scar," she stated, her tone all business.

"Thanks, Granger. I mean, I'm obviously not afraid of scarring, but thank you for taking care of that for me. I don't fancy getting an infection."

"Anytime," she replied. "Well, while I'm here anyway. I'll be back to Britain eventually, and then you'll have to find another healer to charm."

Smirking, he said, "I've charmed you?"

He watched as a light blush bloomed across her cheeks. He could tell she hadn't meant to say it, but he generously accepted her slip-up.

"I… Well, yes, if you must know. You can be quite charming when you're not taunting me about my hair or my teeth or whatever," Hermione admitted.

Draco knew, in that moment, he had to take a chance. It may ruin the friendship they'd slowly started to develop over breakfasts and walks around the grounds, but he didn't want to wait. "What nights are you off this week?"

"Tonight and tomorrow night, actually," she responded. "I'm not sure how I managed to get Christmas Eve off when I'm just a replacement healer."

After weighing the two options, he asked, "Would you like to go to dinner with me? A proper dinner with wine and at a real restaurant?"

Hermione eyed him skeptically. "A proper dinner? Like a date?"

Steeling himself, Draco responded, "Yes, if you want it to be. If you're not sure, or you definitely don't want it to be, we can still go. As friends. I don't mind."

He watched as her cheeks reddened a bit more, and he was dying to know what she was thinking. If he didn't think she'd hex him into oblivion, he'd use Legilimency on her in a heartbeat to find out.

Just when he thought he couldn't wait a second longer, she looked up at him. "Yes, I'd love to go to dinner with you."

And he wanted to ask if it was a date or if they were going as friends, but he didn't want to pressure her either way. He'd follow her lead.

"Great," he replied with a smile. "Pick you up from your quarters at seven?"

Hermione nodded. "I guess I should probably get a nap in then. I wouldn't want to fall asleep at the table tonight."

Draco stood and offered his arm, his manners still guiding him. "Let me walk you back and then I'll head off to wrestle some more dragons."

A sly smile crossed her face. "Try not to get injured," she began. "I wouldn't want you to have to cancel our _date_, Malfoy."

The emphasis on the word date settled any doubts, and he wanted to praise Merlin right then and there.

* * *

Hermione woke at five to start getting ready. Stripping out of her pyjamas, she headed into the bathroom and tied her hair back, not wanting to get it wet. She was hoping the shower would help her to wake up; she'd not slept much, anticipation and anxiety about the date keeping her awake far longer than she would've preferred. After nearly twenty minutes, she felt no more human that she had when her head had left the pillow.

"Right. I guess I'll be drinking some coffee," she groaned, wrapping herself in her bathrobe and heading to the small pot she had in her room.

While she waited for it to brew, she paced nervously. This was a situation she never would have anticipated. She was going on a date with Draco Malfoy and had no idea how to act. They'd been getting along over their breakfasts and encounters on the grounds, and he'd changed, but would tonight be different somehow?

Nervous butterflies were furiously beating their wings in her stomach, fueled by the coffee she was drinking. She didn't know what kind of place Draco was taking her to, and she felt incredibly stupid for not asking what she should wear. Would this be a stuffy, pureblood haunt or something a bit more relaxed? Should she wear dress robes or would a simple Muggle dress suffice?

She stood in front of the wardrobe and decided she needed something that would be acceptable for either venue. Most of her wizarding robes were too plain for such an occasion, and she'd only brought one dress with her. It was simple and black, serviceable even. The neckline was modest and it had full sleeves. There was nothing memorable about it, and she wanted to look beautiful tonight.

Holding the dress out in front of her, she thought of a dress she'd seen on a mannequin in a London storefront. The fabric changed from stiff and black to a shiny grey, a bit darker than what one would call silver. It was already a vast improvement, but she continued, nipping in the waist a bit and giving it more shape.

"I'd better put it on before I try to size it," she said to herself, walking over to gather underwear.

Absentmindedly, she reached for the back of the drawer where she'd put all of her nice things. When her hands ran over the bits of lace and silk, her brain kicked into overdrive once more.

_What am I doing? Why did I agree to this date? Why am I reaching for sexy underwear and transfiguring dresses? To please him? Gods, I came here hoping to start something with Charlie and now what? Since he's unavailable I'm planning on showing off my knickers to Draco Malfoy? I mean, am I really going to let him take me to dinner and then shag me? I should be focusing on work, on getting offered a job here when these three weeks are up…_

_But if I do get offered a job, wouldn't it be nice to be with Draco? He's clearly changed. I've been having a good time with him. Maybe I should just throw caution to the wind and enjoy this date and let my hair down, so to speak. Maybe I should wear a pretty dress and sexy knickers for him…_

She took a deep breath, trying to get herself under control. Grabbing a white set of moderately sexy lingerie, she decided to err on the side of caution. Nothing too simple, nothing too racy. It didn't look too eager, like she was planning on shagging him after their first date, but it was also pretty enough that he would appreciate it.

Hermione quickly put on the white bra and knickers, not giving herself a chance to second guess her choice. Next, she slid the dress on over her head and was pleased with the changes she'd made so far. She sized it to fit and lowered the neckline a bit, revealing a bit more skin but not too much. The hem fell to just above her knees, and she didn't change that at all.

Next, she started on her hair, which was always an adventure. However, today, it seemed to be in a more agreeable mood. Her curls actually smoothed out a bit with some wandwork and they ended up as soft waves that she loved. She didn't bother with too much makeup, only adding a few swipes of mascara. Draco didn't seem to mind her without it, and she didn't want to spend time fussing over it.

She examined herself in the mirror, twisting and turning to make sure the dress was suitable from all angles. Once satisfied with her appearance, Hermione eyed the clock and groaned. It was only 6:30, and now she had thirty minutes to wait and work herself up into an even more tightly-wound ball of nerves. Determined to stay calm, she smoothed her skirt and sat in the chair at her desk, reading over some of the research notes she'd brought home from the hospital wing.

As usual, she got lost in her reading and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the knock on her door. She quickly stood and realized she had no shoes on as she turned the door handle. Draco's eyes roamed over her from head to toe, and he smirked.

"Coming to dinner barefoot?" he teased.

Hermione examined his outfit, trying to judge if she was dressed appropriately. When she noticed he was wearing dark jeans and a button-down shirt, her panic over her wardrobe seemed silly.

"Ah, am I… is this too much?" she asked, gesturing to her dress.

Draco shrugged. "Granger, you look gorgeous, but feel free to change if you're uncomfortable. The place we're going isn't Malfoy-level fancy. You might be cold in a dress, though."

Nodding, she quickly returned to the wardrobe, pulling out a soft v-neck jumper and form-fitting trousers. She retreated to the bathroom and changed out of the transfigured dress, even more peeved she hadn't asked him earlier. She was more comfortable in the new outfit, the teal jumper and grey trousers much more her style. When she walked back into the room, Draco smiled at her and the butterflies started up again. After pulling on her tall leather boots, she was ready.

"Just as beautiful as the dress," he said, complimenting her once more. "Grab a cloak or a coat or whatever you've brought with you. We're going to be Apparating, but then there will be a short walk outdoors."

Draco slipped on the leather jacket he'd been wearing the first time she saw him here, and he looked so… perfect. His fringe was falling towards his eyes, and she wanted to push it back for him.

_No, Hermione. No touching. He hasn't given you any indication that he wants you to touch him like that._

Once she was wrapped in her coat, he offered an arm to her and led her out to the Apparition point.

"Are you okay if I take you Side-Along?" he asked.

"Of course. I don't know where we're going, Draco," she replied.

He took a deep breath and spun on the spot, taking them to a small village near the Sanctuary. When they landed, he said, "So we're going to the restaurant at the end of this street. Did you want to look around first? Or we can walk a bit after?"

"After. I'm starving."

He laughed. "Oh, thank Merlin. I'm ready to eat as well."

Hermione took the first step in the direction he'd indicated and he held tight to her arm, walking beside her.

"I should've asked earlier. Did you sleep well?"

Shaking her head, she said, "Not really. It's a bit hard sleeping during the day, even when you're mostly used to it like I am. It still messes with your body and potions can make it even worse." He didn't say anything more, so she continued. "I mean, I know it's unnatural and throws off the Circadian rhythm, but you'd think I'd eventually adjust or that magic would help, but it doesn't."

"I'm surprised no healer has ever invented a potion or spell to help with it. Maybe that's something you could do, oh Brightest Witch."

Chuckling, she said, "Maybe, though I'd rather do something more useful."

With that, they reached the door, and Draco held it open for her. She stepped through and followed his lead as he checked their coats and spoke to the host, letting him guide her to the table with a hand at the small of her back and pull her chair out for her. His perfect manners were still there, hidden under the Muggle attire and relaxed dragon keeper persona.

Once they were alone, Hermione started the conversation again. "So, is this place Muggle or magical?"

"Magical," he replied. "I didn't want to make a fool of myself in a Muggle restaurant in front of you. I mean, I've been to a few with the others, but they usually handle the money and the like. Plus, it was short notice and I didn't know anywhere nice enough. I've taken friends here when they've come to visit."

"Friends? So a few people know you're here?" she asked.

Draco thought for a moment. "Blaise has visited and so has Theo. Daphne and Astoria came out after I broke the betrothal contract. Their parents were furious."

_Another reason to get to Ginevra Zabini. She likely knew Malfoy was here, as well._

Despite her curiosity, Hermione didn't ask about the betrothal contract. She figured it wasn't really appropriate first date conversation. Opening the menu, she smiled at him. "So, since we're both starving, tell me what's good here."

As the meal progressed, Hermione got more and more comfortable. The awkward small talk disappeared and was replaced with anecdotes about the dragon sanctuary. Draco had endless tales from his training months with Charlie, and she found them absolutely fascinating. She could picture Charlie and Draco working with Grace as she grew, tailing her all over the sanctuary.

And, after she finished her third glass of wine, she imagined them working together in the heat of summer, their shirts stripped off in the Romanian heat and sun. Of course they'd both have to use numerous sun-blocking charms and probably wouldn't smell the greatest, but the fantasy was nice. She'd seen Charlie shirtless, playing Quidditch at the Burrow with Ginny and his brothers during the summer holidays, but Draco was a mystery still, and her mind was eager to fill in the blanks.

"So do you think you'll stay at St Mungo's indefinitely?" Draco asked, snapping her back to reality.

Hermione shrugged. "It's fine for now. I'd really love to work here, but like you said before, the spots really are few and far between."

Smirking, he replied, "I'm sure I could arrange something for you, Granger."

"Don't even think about using your father's money, Malfoy. You know I won't accept it," she stated firmly.

"I know. I'm just teasing you," he said, and Hermione was shocked to realise she actually felt a little pang of sadness that his offer wasn't genuine. If it had been, then it would've meant he wanted her to stay, right?

_Don't be ridiculous. It's only been a couple of days. It doesn't really matter that the conversations have been great and maybe even a bit flirty. Or that you feel some type of weird connection to him._

She plastered on a fake smile and asked, "So, what's next? You wanted to go for a walk, right?"

"If you want to," Draco answered. "I know you said you didn't sleep well. If you're tired, I could take you back to your quarters."

Pausing to think, Hermione took another sip of wine. "I'm off tomorrow, so I'm not worried about that. I'll have plenty of time to sleep."

Draco finished the wine in his glass. "Okay. But I've got a better idea than walking up and down this street."

He stood and moved towards her, pulling her chair out once more. They walked arm in arm to the coat check and bundled up again, Draco helping her with her coat before putting his on. Before they walked out the door he took her hand, and she smiled at him, trying to show that she was fine with it.

They walked back to the Apparition point, and then Draco brought them back to the Sanctuary. They roamed the halls, eventually ending up back on the open-air balcony where she'd first encountered him… and Grace.

"I thought it would be clear enough," he said. "I'm sure you don't see much of the night sky in London."

Shaking her head, Hermione replied, "Not really. Too much light pollution."

She thought she heard him mumble about Muggles under his breath, but she didn't call him out on it. It was accurate — Muggles were responsible.

She leaned against the railing, her arms resting on it. He moved beside her, mirroring her stance. "Draco," she began, "you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but I'm curious…"

"Go on."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione asked, "Have your parents come up here to visit?"

"They've gotten special permission from the Ministry twice," he answered. "Once for Christmas, and once when I wrote home to say I was switching from a researcher to a dragon keeper. I'm sure you can imagine what my father had to say when he heard about that."

Hermione snickered, and he looked over at her. "I just imagined you as a preteen saying 'My father will hear about this!' in response to everything."

He grabbed her hand, holding it once more, and she felt the tiniest bit guilty for teasing him. Just as she was about to apologise, Draco said, "I do hope he hears about me taking you to dinner. I'm sure he has spies up here. It will make for quite the conversation."

"A bad one?" she asked, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Raising an eyebrow at her, he replied, "It won't be nearly as bad as it would've been before, but I don't imagine he'll express exuberant joy."

Honestly, she couldn't picture Lucius Malfoy happy… ever.

"Let's not spoil the night," she stated. "I didn't mean to bring up your parents or the past or anything like that. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Hermione. Those things will always be there, and I don't want you to be afraid to ask me anything."

Still wanting to move on, Hermione started pointing out constellations, and Draco knew far more than she did, having looked at the night sky in Romania for many years now. She learned that his mother had also instructed him in astronomy, which was no surprise. Hermione knew the Black family revered the stars, so it made sense that Narcissa would instill that in her son.

After about an hour, Draco led her back to her room, holding her hand as they walked through the sanctuary's hallways.

"I have a surprise for you tomorrow," he said as they arrived at her door.

"I'm not particularly fond of surprises," she told him. "I've had far too many in my short life."

Draco managed to look contrite, but squeezed her hand. "This is nothing like _those_ surprises. I promise. This will be something I'm positive you'll love."

She nodded slowly. "Alright. You've been trustworthy so far, I'll let you surprise me. But I'll have my wand with me."

Draco laughed, "I give you my word, Granger. It's nothing nasty or creepy or anything that comes with the possibility of death."

"And is there anything specific I need to wear for this surprise?"

Draco shrugged. "Something warm but removable."

Hermione made a choked sound of surprise. "Excuse me?"

Draco frowned and then realised what he'd said. His face flamed with embarrassment and he looked down at his feet.

"Ah… sorry," he mumbled. "I just meant, wear a coat and hat, maybe a scarf. It's supposed to snow tomorrow afternoon and we have to walk to where we're going, we can't Apparate. And it's extremely hot inside the… the surprise."

Hermione smiled at his discomfort. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, startling him. "Thank you for dinner, Draco. And I look forward to your surprise."


	4. Chapter 4

**.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

**CHRISTMAS EVE**

* * *

Hermione awoke feeling refreshed. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed; she'd not slept this well since… since before she started her Healer training.

The Sanctuary was so peaceful, so different from the constant noise from the traffic outside her London flat. Silencing charms were fine, but since they silenced everything, they were not particularly safe.

But here, in the serenity of the Romanian forest, she felt a sense of calm that had long been missing in her life. The constant day-to-day rush and panic of St Mungo's was not missed, and she was seriously thinking if they didn't offer her a job in the Rodna hospital, she'd switch over to Dragon Keeping. After only two days, she was absolutely loathe to leave.

She sat up and glanced at the clock, shocked to see she had slept for over twelve hours. She had been exhausted, but she'd never slept that long. And Draco would be along soon to take her to… wherever he was taking her.

She showered quickly, and chuckled to herself as she dressed. _Warm, but removable. _His embarrassment had been adorable. And the little flutter of desire in her stomach had been unexpected.

Her expectations on arriving at the Sanctuary had been that she and Charlie would be snuggled together in his bed by now, not that she would be spending most of her free time with Draco Malfoy, and enjoying herself as she had been.

He had been a complete surprise.

The fact that he was even working at the Sanctuary was shocking enough, but that he had become rugged and tanned and scarred, was so different from what she knew that she hardly recognised him. Yes, he still had that devilish glint in his eyes, but he had become charming and polite. He smiled almost constantly, and his laughter was infectious. She could see that he loved his work, loved the Sanctuary, and had clearly earned the respect of his fellow Dragon Keepers.

A sharp knock sounded on the door and her stomach did a little flip. This was ridiculous. It had been two days. Draco Malfoy shouldn't have been making her stomach flip.

"It's open!" she called and continued to lace up her boots.

The door opened and Draco's head appeared from behind it. "Are you ready?"

Hermione laughed; his eyes were closed. "I'm not naked, Malfoy. Apparently clothes are being removed later."

"One slip-up and I'll be hearing about it all day." He rolled his eyes, but she only laughed.

"Sorry," Hermione giggled. "But it's not everyday I get asked to wear something removable."

She picked up her coat and slipped it on, only then noticing the woollen hat he was holding. She grinned and held up her own beanie. "You have a Weasley beanie too."

Draco nodded. "Mrs Weasley was horrified last winter when she came to visit Charlie and I didn't have 'anything warm to cover my ears', so she made this for me."

"Did she slap you for calling her Mrs Weasley?"

"I was told on several occasions that her name is Molly, but it seems wrong."

Hermione placed her hand on his chest, "You've got old school manners ingrained in your heart."

"Yeah, it's something I've tried to rid myself of."

"I think it's sweet."

Draco covered her hand with his. "Thank you, but I don't think Draco Malfoy and sweet go in the same sentence."

"Don't sell yourself short. I've seen how people are with you here, and you're well-respected." She pulled her beanie over her unruly hair and smiled. "Now, you have a surprise for me that requires the removal of my clothes?"

Draco shot her an incredulous glare. "If you can't behave, Ms Granger, we can stay _here_ and remove your clothes."

Hermione's jaw dropped open and he laughed.

"Come on, your surprise is waiting."

* * *

The afternoon sky was bleak. Heavy clouds hung overhead, and Hermione was certain there was more snow to come.

The snow that had already fallen, crunched beneath their feet as they made their way along a wide path that led away from the staff quarters. Draco had said it would be about a fifteen minute walk to their destination, and he would explain why they couldn't Apparate when they arrived.

Several people had passed them in the opposite direction, all smiling and greeting them with boisterous _hellos_ and a few _Merry Christmases_. A few people even stopped them to ask if she was enjoying her time at the Sanctuary so far.

Hermione understood why Charlie didn't come home often. Everyone was here for one purpose — the dragons. There didn't appear to be any rivalries, or egos, everyone seemed to respect each other and get along.

They chatted as they walked, Hermione's hands shoved deep inside her coat pockets. Draco's words had shocked her into forgetting her gloves. She'd only been teasing him for his innocent slip-up, but his words before they left her room had a hint of seriousness behind them.

_Did she want him to remove her clothes? Did she want to feel his calloused hands exploring her body? _

_Two days, Hermione_. She reminded herself. _It's been two days._

"Granger?" Draco's voice startled her. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Fine, why?"

"You got awfully quiet there. You don't have to worry about where we're going, I promised you it's safe, and you have my word."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. He thought she was worried about where they were going, not that she was imagining his hands touching her naked body.

"We're here." Draco announced and she looked up at the overhanging sign, gasping as she read the words.

**DRAGON HATCHERY**

"Really?" She was struggling to keep her excitement in check. Yes, she'd been involved with Hagrid's illegal hatching of Norbert, but she'd been so sure they'd get caught, she'd not had a chance to enjoy seeing a baby dragon.

"Really, Granger." Draco took her hand and walked her under the sign. A tingling sensation that had nothing do with his warm hand in hers shuddered through her body and she glanced up at him. "If I hadn't held your hand, you'd have been sent flying backwards. There's a protective shield around the facility, so no one can enter without an authorised escort."

"Is that why you can't Apparate here?"

Draco shook his head. "No, they discovered years ago that human apparition close to dragon eggs can cause irreparable damage. We've no idea why, but we're fairly certain it's why most black market eggs don't survive. The dealers Apparate with the eggs without realising what they're doing." He turned her around and she was astounded at the view. "We're about a mile away from anything else in the Sanctuary. The hatchery is kept separate, so anyone coming in this direction has to walk."

"And there are dragon eggs inside now?"

"There are." Draco led her along the short path to the large wooden door. He tapped his wand on the dragon head that was engraved into the wood and the door opened slowly.

Hermione looked up at him and he grinned.

"Wait."

The door slammed shut, startling her and she grabbed his arm.

"What happened?"

"It's a security measure. If you go through immediately, you'll get tossed back on your arse."

"Not a magical charm?"

"Apparently the practical ones work best." He tapped the dragon head again, and the door swung open. "After you."

"Not likely." Hermione gestured for him to go through first.

"You'll want to remove your clothes now," he said with a straight face. "It gets pretty warm in here."

"I'm not above punching you again," she told him, but removed her outerwear. He took it from her and handed it to a house-elf that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Thank you, Rhaegal," Draco said politely. "I'll call when we're done."

The elf bowed low and thanked Mr Draco before disappearing.

"They're paid and have two days off every week." Draco told her as he began to walk down the long corridor. "And they're equally as good with the baby dragons as we are."

"They help with the dragons?" Hermione was astonished.

"With the baby ones, yes." Draco held open the next door, and a flood of heat hit them. "We have five eggs at the moment, two Norwegian Ridgebacks, a Romanian Longhorn, a Chinese Fireball and a Ukrainian Ironbelly. We're watching the Fireball egg around the clock. It's due to hatch any day now."

The space was massive. Easily as big as five Quidditch pitches. A dozen large caged enclosures were in a circle around the perimeter. She could see fires burning in five of them, and there were at least two keepers at each cage. The enclosure at the rear had at least ten people standing around it, and she assumed it was the Fireball.

"So, there's no specific timing for hatchlings?" Hermione glancing around everywhere, trying not to miss anything.

"We can estimate, but it's not exact," Draco explained, walking slowly past the first cage that contained a shiny, black egg. "This is one of the Ridgebacks, they usually take about five months. Longhorns about seven months, the Ironbelly being so massive, can be up to eight months." They walked closer to the Fireball cage. "And this one is only about four months. They grow fast and hatch with a blast of flame. I was fortunate enough to see one hatch in my first year. It was incredible."

"I bet it was." She looked at the shell of the Fireball egg. It was a vivid crimson speckled with gold and she chuckled. "They must be Gryffindors."

"That's what I always say," the woman standing beside her said. "Fierce and strong and will fight to the death. Unlike those Welsh Green Slytherins. Slow and timid."

The woman looked past Hermione with a wide grin and Draco snorted a laugh.

"Believe what you want, Iris," Draco chuckled. "But those Welsh Greens are sly bastards."

"So sly, they wait for the sheep to die of natural causes before they eat them." She laughed and held her hand out to Hermione. "Iris Caroll. Gryffindor and Fireball specialist."

"Lovely to meet you, I'm Herm—"

"Hermione Granger. I know. Everyone knows. We're excited to have you here."

"Oh, I'm just a Healer, I don't do anything as dramatic as you do, I'm sure."

"Oh, pfft." Iris waved her comment away. "We chase dragons, you chase evil wizards who would overthrow the world. I think you've got us beat."

A loud cracking sound stopped Hermione's rebuttal, and Iris whooped and ran to the opposite side of the cage. She started shouting orders, and a flurry of activity began around them. A dozen more people came out of nowhere; this was apparently a huge deal.

Draco clutched her shoulder. "This was perfect timing. But I suggest we step back."

Hermione nodded, and stepped backwards with him, noting his hand remaining on her shoulder.

"Don't look away," he said close to her ear, his breath warm even in the heat of the hatching room. "It'll be quick. If you look away, even for a second, you'll miss it."

And he was right. Another loud crack was followed by a mushroom of brilliant red flames, and the dragon's wings expanded, splitting the remaining shell. It took off in flight immediately, which shocked her. She remembered Norbert when he hatched — it took days for his wings to expand. Another ball of fire roared from its mouth. Hermione cringed and pressed against Draco, but the flames never left the cage.

"The cages have shields, we'd all be dead if they didn't." Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She was shaking, although she wasn't sure if it was fear or adrenaline. "Quite the rush, hey?"

"How do you do this every day?" She turned to look up at him. "My heart couldn't take it."

"I should have started you off slower. Watched an Ironbelly first. They hatch half asleep."

"Oh, no, I'm so glad I saw it. It was incredible. So different than when Hagrid… _um_." She glanced quickly around and Draco chuckled.

"Everyone here knows about Norbert," he said. "Although, it's _Norberta_ now."

Hermione laughed at that. "Is she like Grace?"

"No, she'd had human contact, obviously, but as soon as she arrived, she disappeared into the trees. We see her occasionally, and she appears to be happy here." He shrugged. "The less interference, the better."

"Except with Grace, right?"

Draco grinned. "Well, she's _my_ girl, so it's different."

"You're a big softy, Draco Malfoy." Hermione bumped him with her shoulder. "I like it."

He mumbled something she couldn't quite make out and they returned their attention to the dragon. It had finally calmed and was standing in the middle of the cage, its head darting around, taking in everyone staring at it.

"How long will it stay in here?" Hermione asked, fascinated with the small creature and how alert it was after being hatched for just a few minutes.

"A couple of days," Draco told her. "Iris will sedate it tomorrow and do a full check, and most likely it will be released the following day."

"And it will be okay out there?"

"Horntails, Vipertooths, and Fireballs are born fighting, and even in the wild, their parents will leave them to fend for themselves after only a few days. We try to keep to that schedule." He turned around and nodded towards the other eggs. "Other species need a little more care."

"This is… wow." Hermione followed his gaze around the hatchery. "I knew the hospital is considered the best in the world, but this… what you're all doing here is remarkable."

"Yeah, it's not a bad job." He smiled and turned back to the Fireball dragon, which had decided it had raged enough and was now curled into a large nest in the corner of the enclosure.

The crowd had started to leave — a sleeping dragon wasn't as exciting as a hatching one — but Hermione asked if it was safe to get closer to it.

"Of course," Draco told her, and she moved to the corner where it slept, squatting down to get a closer look.

The red scales were dark, much darker than the shell of the egg, and the crest, which should have been yellow, was a dark tan. She looked up at Draco. "The colours will change as it grows?"

"Correct," Draco said. "Because it's left at such a young age, it needs camouflage. It'll probably be about a year before its true colours emerge."

The dragon's eyes blinked open and stared at her, a puff of smoke rose from its snout, but it remained curled in a ball.

"Interesting," Iris said quietly from behind them. "Fireballs don't let humans get this close. I believe you might have some dragon blood in your veins."

Hermione looked up at Iris, wide-eyed. "Dragon blood?"

Iris laughed. "It's just a saying we have around here. Dragons are rarely comfortable around humans. Draco is one of them, Charlie is another. Looks like you might have that gift as well."

Hermione returned her gaze to the dragon. Its eye had closed and tiny puffs of smoke curled around its snout as it breathed. She didn't think she'd ever seen a creature so beautiful and yet so dangerous at the same time. And if she had a connection with it, if she could give it a sense of calm and help it feel safe, she would gladly help as much as possible for the short time she was here.

* * *

Hermione stood staring at the number seven on the door, hoping that she wasn't making a huge mistake. Hoping that her instincts weren't wrong.

Draco had walked her back to her room after they'd made a mad dash through the falling snow, running the entire way back down the path from the Dragon Hatchery to the staff quarters.

They were both freezing by the time they reached the building, and she had asked if he wanted to come in and warm up before he returned to his own room. He'd held her gaze for several seconds, leaning in slightly, before he cleared his throat and pulled away.

"Um, so there's a Christmas thing in the Keepers lounge tomorrow," he'd smiled nervously, "At lunchtime. You're welcome to join us."

Hermione had wanted to grab him and pull him into her room. Had wanted him to strip her naked and feel his rough hands all over her. Instead, she nodded, completely dumbstruck at his rejection of her offer.

She'd stood under the hot water of the shower, wondering what she'd done that had stopped him from kissing her. Then she'd paced her room, going over the afternoon in her head and couldn't think of one moment that would have caused him to pull away from her like he did.

He wanted to kiss her, she knew it. He'd stood close to her in the Hatchery, had whispered in her ear, had held her tightly when the dragon hatched.

_Dammit_! She'd cursed at herself. _Just go to him. Ask him. _

She raised her hand and knocked, hoping that the reason he had rejected her wasn't because he had someone else to see. She'd been shocked once already after getting her hopes up — she couldn't stand it happening again.

Draco opened the door. He was wearing sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. His feet were bare and hair was messed up, as if he'd only just dried it. His expression was blank as he took her in. "Granger, are you okay?"

"Why didn't you kiss me?"

"I... ah..." Draco stammered.

"Did you want to kiss me? Because it seemed like you did."

Draco stared at her for several long seconds, and before she knew what was happening, he dragged her into his room, slammed the door and shoved her against it.

"Did I want to kiss you?" He pressed himself against her. "I've wanted to kiss you since I saw you on the bloody balcony. I wanted to kiss you the minute I learned you were coming here."

"How did you know I was coming?"

"Charlie." He grazed his lips along her jaw. "Charlie told me you were coming."

"But why?" Hermione's breath hitched as he nipped at her throat. "Why did he tell you?"

"He knew I wanted to kiss you."

"How did he know that? Did you tell him?"

Draco inhaled sharply through his nose, pulling back to look at her. "Bloody hell, Granger, will you shut up and let me kiss you!?"

Hermione's heart started beating hard, every inch of her skin buzzing in anticipation. He was going to kiss her. Draco Malfoy was going to kiss her.

His fingers slipped into her hair, his hands warm and strong, and she closed her eyes when he tilted her head back and leaned in to meet her lips. His mouth slid over hers, sucking her bottom lip gently, and he huffed a little breath of pure relief. It was as if he'd waited a lifetime for this.

Hermione let out her own sound of relief. She'd not been wrong. He did want her, he just hadn't known how to tell her.

He took his time, his lips caressing hers in a slow series of gentle kisses, his mouth urging her lips apart with each press against her. Hermione let out a heavy moan as his tongue slid into her mouth, tasting and teasing, her body tingling all over at the sensation of his tongue tangling with hers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his, feeling the solid wall of muscle press back against her. He groaned at the sensation, his hands slipping from her hair, his arms sliding down to grip her hips, pulling her close.

So close she could feel the heat of his body through her layers of clothes.

So close she could feel him growing hard against her stomach.

His kisses grew hotter, deeper, his body pressing her harder against the door. He shifted the angle of his lips, his tongue doing a slow sweep of her mouth before she broke away from him on a gasp, desperately trying to catch her breath.

"This is what I've wanted," he whispered. "This is all I've thought about. I wanted to kiss you, but I wasn't sure that you'd let me."

She studied his face, her gaze flicking from his eyes to his mouth, and back again. "If you keep kissing me like _that_, I'll let you kiss me anytime you like."

He moved back in, kissing her with the need of a man who had gone without for so long. His tongue slipped between her lips, his hands clutched at her hips, and the deep groan he made when she moved her hands around his back, dipping lower to grasp his arse, was unlike anything she'd ever heard before.

The desperation, the need, the desire that sound contained, sent a warm shiver down her spine and a heavy ache throbbed between her legs. Her fingers moved beneath the hem of his t-shirt. She paused, glancing up at him, and he nodded.

"Do what you want, Granger." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her jaw. "I won't stop you."

She bit her lip nervously as her fingers began exploring his skin, tickling the line of hair on his navel and feeling the hard muscles of his abdomen. His t-shirt slid up as her hand moved higher, stopping over his heart which was hammering in his chest.

"Are you nervous?" she whispered, her own heart matching the racing rhythm she felt beneath her palm.

"Very." He sucked in a sharp breath as she traced one finger around his nipple. "I've never been wound so tightly in my life."

"Because of me?"

He pressed his hips harder against her, letting her feel just how wound up he was. "Because of you."

"Can you take this off?" She tugged at his t-shirt. "Will you let me see you?"

Without a word, Draco dragged his t-shirt over his head, and Hermione's breath caught. But it wasn't the scar that took her breath away, it was the tattoo on his arm.

Unlike Charlie's magical tattoos, Draco's didn't move, but it was nonetheless stunning. A scarlet and emerald dragon curled around his upper arm, flames shooting from its mouth and spreading in a plume over his shoulder. Hermione traced her fingertips over the image and looked up at him.

"Grace?"

He nodded. "She saved me."

They stared at each other, a lingering moment of knowing they had been treated as pawns in a game they had no business playing. He had bore witness to suffering that one so young should never have had to see. She had been tortured and left with a scar that often times still haunted her dreams. Both their lives had been shattered, but they also knew they had both been saved. A dangerously wild creature had been his saviour, a tiny house elf had been hers.

Hermione placed a kiss on his arm. "I'll have to thank her when I see her next."

"It might be a while, she's too busy playing with boys."

Hermione ran her hand down his torso, stopping at the waistband of his sweats. "There's nothing wrong with playing with boys."

"Is that so?" He gripped the zipper of her hoodie between his thumb and forefinger, "What about playing with girls? Are there any issues with that?"

Her hand dropped lower and she curled her fingers around him. "I see no issues with that at all."

He smirked and then yanked the zipper down, her hoodie quickly joining his t-shirt on the floor. He gripped the hem of her long-sleeved thermal, pausing to gauge her reaction. She smiled, raising her arms in the air, and waited for him to remove it.

He dropped it to the floor, and the expression on his face made her glad she'd worn the red lingerie set she'd packed for… an occasion like this.

Lifting his hand slowly, he fingered the fine lace that covered her, grazing the curve of her breast. Her nipples hardened instantly and he grinned.

The cool air washed over her chest as he tugged the cups of her bra down, exposing the tight peaks to his gaze. Hermione held her breath. _What would he think?_ She wasn't like Lavender with her magically enhanced boobs, and she'd always thought herself less than impressive when it came to her chest, but the expression of pure lust that greeted her when she looked up at him told her she had nothing to be concerned about.

He reached behind her, finding the clasp of her bra, and with a flick of his wrist, the tiny hooks released and she shrugged out of it. He cupped her breasts, bending his head to suck one tight peak into his mouth. She gasped, her hands sliding into his hair as his tongue and teeth swirled and bit at the sensitive bud.

"Shit, Granger, I can't…"

He dropped to his knees, pulling her shoes and socks off, before quickly standing and lifting her, carrying her the short distance to the bed. He laid her on her back, her jeans and knickers disappearing in record time, and a tiny wave of disappointment flashed through her at not getting the chance to show off the lingerie she'd worn just for him.

But her disappointment left her in an instant when he stripped himself of the grey sweatpants and stood before her in all his naked glory. Her entire body quivered, the ache between her legs growing in its intensity as she drank him in. His body was tight, tanned skin stretched over well-defined muscles. His hips were narrow, forming a perfect 'V', and she swallowed hard at the sight of his imposing erection.

She inched backwards as he joined her on the bed, crawling over her and settling between her thighs.

"You are stunning, Granger, and I want you." He leaned down and captured her mouth. "You need to tell me if I'm moving too fast."

He kissed down her neck, over her breasts, sucking both her nipples until she cried out. He moved further down, kissing her ribs, her stomach, nipping at both her hips before pausing to take in the slip of smooth skin between her legs.

He saw her muscles tense, heard the hitch in her breath, and looked up at her. "Too fast?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm just... no one has ever looked at me the way you are."

"Well, they're fools." He turned his head and sucked on the smooth skin of her inner thigh. "You're fucking stunning, Granger. Every part of you."

"Every part of me?" her question was barely a whisper.

"Every. Single. Part." His eyes never left hers as he trailed a single finger up her slit, "I love how smooth and soft you are," he circled his thumb around her clit, "how wet you are already."

He dipped his finger inside, sliding slowly in and out, before reaching up and pressing the same fingertip against her lips. She opened her mouth, sucking hard. Draco growled and bit gently on her thigh.

"I want to taste you." He ran his tongue along the juncture of her leg and hip. "I want to watch you as you come with my tongue inside you."

She shivered, her legs opening wider, inviting him to do as he pleased.

He glanced up, her eyes were wide, watching his every move. "You're gonna watch me do this to you?"

She nodded and her breathy _Yeah_ hit him in the chest. He wanted her to watch, wanted her eyes only on him. Wanted her to remember his mouth on her when she returned to London.

He smiled at her and dipped his head, opening his mouth over her wet slip of skin. Draco groaned, she tasted like heaven. She was the exact thing he'd been craving without even realising it.

She bucked and cried out as his tongue found her clit, circling the tight bud before slipping his arms beneath her thighs and settling more comfortably on the bed between her legs.

Her hands went to his hair and his eyes closed as he smiled into her, sucking gently.

"Oh, gods, Draco," she moaned as he licked one long stroke from her entrance to her clit, circling over and over. His tongue was incredible, she'd felt nothing like it ever in her life. She'd shagged a few guys, but none of them had done this.

His tongue retreated and his lips took over, sucking and kissing, his teeth scraping over her sensitive folds. He added his fingers, pushing in deep and finding that elusive spot inside her, causing her head to drop back and her hands to reach blindly for the headboard

He glanced up. Her chest was rising and falling quickly as she gasped for air, her eyes were squeezed shut and her hips began to rock in search of him.

"Don't stop," she whispered and Draco dropped his head back down, murmuring a promise of _never_ against her skin.

Tiny whimpers of pleasure slipped from her lips as he increased the pace of his fingers and pressed harder with his tongue. She cried out and twisted on the bed, but he held her in place, not letting up on the intensity for a single second.

She was right there, dancing on the edge. His fingers were relentless, his mouth sucking furiously, and with a twist of his wrist, her body bowed off the bed. Hermione let out a sharp cry, the muscles in her thighs straining, her soaked core contracting around his fingers.

But he didn't stop.

His fingers continued to move inside her, his mouth opened wide over her honey-slicked skin. Her whimpers became choked sounds, her legs dropping wider, her hips rocking faster as she unselfconsciously fucked his face for what felt like hours.

She'd never been overly enthusiastic about oral sex, finding the act illicit. And of the four guys she had slept with, only one had put their mouth on her, and she'd found the whole experience uncomfortable.

But Draco...

This was different. This was pure ecstasy.

She reached down and gripped his hair, the wild sensation of her second orgasm rippled across her skin. She gave in to it, closing her eyes and crying out, holding him against her. His hands tightened on her thighs, anchoring her to him, while she rode out the waves of pleasure coursing through her.

She felt him shift, felt him move over her, felt his lips on her stomach, his tongue on her nipple.

Felt his lips on hers.

She sucked greedily on his tongue, licked her taste from his lips, and rather than being repulsed by it, the taste of her orgasm on his mouth was like a drug.

"Fucking hell, Granger." He was breathless. "You are incredible. I could eat you all night."

"Hmm, that sounds perfect," she said lazily, "but I'd much prefer…" her hands curved around his hips, tracing the delectable V and wrapping around his thick length, "...this inside me."

"If that's what you want," he swallowed thickly, bending to kiss her jaw, "then put me inside you."

Draco watched as she slipped the head of his cock through her sex, guiding him higher, teasing over her clit, and finally back down to feel the dip of her entrance.

She held him there, staring up at him. He held her gaze and the air stilled around them. Her face wore an expression that he instantly understood. She was overwhelmed with what they were about to do.

"Draco," she whispered and he nodded.

"I know." He came down over her, his chest meeting hers. Her legs wrapped around his hips and he rocked forward, his heavy length sliding across the slick heat of her sex. "I fucking know."

He raised his hips and pushed forward, groaning as he felt her body give. He slipped inside easily, her body wet and eager, sucking him deeper and he shuddered when he was all the way in. She was warm, unbelievably so, and her body fit around his like an incredibly soft glove.

"Hey," she whispered, running her hands up his back.

He smiled down at her and bent to kiss her, "Hey."

She relaxed beneath him and he deepened the kiss, circling her head with his arms and rolling his hips, moving in a slow, easy rhythm. Her hands moved over his warm skin, touching him everywhere — his back, his arse, her fingernails scratching along his ribs.

He picked up his pace, pumping into her with quick, hard strokes and then slowed down, relishing her frustrated growl. He teased, speeding up and slowing down, over and over, swallowing all of her breathy moans, her pleas, her sharp cries as he repeatedly hit the perfect spot inside her.

She began to shake, her sounds became strained, and Draco slowed again.

"No!" she cried in frustration. "Don't stop... Draco… I need..." Her voice cracked and a choking sob left her.

Draco pushed her damp hair from her face and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I've got you, baby."

She turned into his touch, and he shifted to quicker, hungrier thrusts. She picked up his rhythm, gripping his hips and arching into him. She was close, too close to continue teasing. Her body was trembling, her molten core pulsating around his own throbbing length.

"You look so fucking perfect, Granger," he said through gritted teeth. "Are you ready?"

Her eyes were glazed, her jaw slack, but she nodded. He kissed the corner of her mouth, pulling her leg along his ribs, and unleashed, fucking into her hard and fast.

Her orgasm was a hot rush that spread from her core and consumed her. Her body tightened, every muscle tense, her skin damp with sweat. Her eyes squeezed shut and her body arched as she screamed her climax.

Draco shifted, lifting off her and watching where he still moved through her. Her legs were trembling against him, her sex pulsating around him. His own orgasm itched at his spine, willing him to let go, but he held on.

"Draco," she breathed. "You didn't..."

"No," he whispered, reaching between them and rubbing her swollen clit with the lightest touch. "Not yet. I need one more."

She gasped at his touch, groaning that she couldn't, that it was too much.

"You can." He hovered his mouth over hers, breathing her air. "Let me feel you."

Her body was so wired she was arching into him in only half a minute. She came again with a surprised cry, the rhythmic tightening of her pussy dragging his own orgasm over the edge.

With a loud groan, he shoved deeper into her, his hips pressing hard against hers and a flood of pleasure rocketed through him. He collapsed onto her, burying his face in her neck, his mouth opening to suck on her skin. Her arms wrapped around him, her lips pressed a light kiss to his shoulder.

"Stay on top of me," she murmured. "Stay inside me."

"I've finally got you," he whispered, "I'm not going anywhere."


	5. Chapter 5

**.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

**THREE WEEKS LATER**

* * *

Hermione's time at the Sanctuary seemed to pass in the blink of an eye after Christmas. Every waking moment was spent in the hospital, in the dragon hatchery, or somewhere on the grounds with Draco. She'd spent so much time with the baby dragons, and she knew she'd grown attached to them… just like she had to Draco.

On her last official day off, Hermione was lounging in the enclosed side of the balcony, a book in one hand. But she wasn't reading. The words had gone blurry, her eyes filling with tears she wouldn't let fall. She'd been so happy, had felt more at peace than she had in years over the past few weeks, and it was all coming to a close. In just two days, she'd be taking a Portkey back to her life in London, complete with her chaotic job, noisy flat, and the crushing feeling of loneliness.

She wasn't sure she could handle it.

In that moment, Hermione almost regretted agreeing to fill in at the Sanctuary. If she hadn't done it, she wouldn't have had a taste of a different life, a quieter one filled with baby dragons and boring workdays and sweet kisses. She never would've gotten to know Draco, and she wouldn't feel a sense of loss every time she thought about leaving. She had been hoping they'd ask her to stay on, but those hopes had been dashed when Healer Singh returned the night before, nearly ready to resume her duties. It had taken all of her strength not to cry in front of Draco when he'd mentioned it and tried to start the conversation she'd been dreading.

"Hermione," he began, "we need to talk about this. We need to talk about what happens when you go."

She shook her head. "No, we don't. When I go, I'll be back to working eighty hours a week at St Mungo's and you'll be here. There's not much else to say."

"But—"

Hermione kissed him, silencing him in a way he would enjoy. "Stop. We both know how this is going to go, Draco. I'll be working, and you'll be working, and we'll say we're going to visit… But you hate England, and I won't be able to come back here for a day at a time and pretend like everything is okay when really my heart will be breaking over and over again every time I leave."

His lips pressed into a tight line, and he wouldn't look directly at her for the rest of the night. Knowing he was hurting and likely trying to distance himself, she hadn't pushed him. When he'd gone back to his quarters early, leaving her alone with her thoughts in the empty hospital wing, she'd thrown up a Silencing charm and sobbed. Hurting Draco, especially since she knew he didn't let people in easily, was a horrible thing to do, and she hated herself.

Even though she'd hurt him, he still met her for breakfast the following morning and kissed her before going off to perform his duties, saying he'd see her later on. Hermione had nodded and then cried into her pillow until she had fallen asleep.

And now she was waiting for him, thinking about everything she was going to lose in just a matter of days.

When Hermione heard footsteps approaching, she quickly wiped her eyes and pretended to read again, sure that Draco was making his way to her. However, the voice that sounded was not his.

"Pages!" Charlie greeted. "Oh, it's so wonderful to be back! I'm surprised Draco didn't..."

His voice trailed off when he looked at her.

Hermione rose to her feet and threw her arms around him, and he placed one hand at the small of her back while the other stroked her hair.

"It's good to see you," she said, sniffling. "I wish you hadn't gone."

"And here I thought you'd be excited I'm back," he griped.

Her tone changed quickly. "I'm sorry! I am!"

Charlie guided her to the small couch, sitting down and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Talk to me. Tell me what's happened and why you're so upset."

Hermione relayed the whole story, telling Charlie about her first days at the Sanctuary and how things had started and progressed with Draco.

"It was all so fast, Charlie, and now I'm going to be leaving in just a couple of days and I can't stand it! The thought of going back to London and my old life is making me feel sick," she began. "It's loud and crazy there, and I won't get to see Grace or the babies or Draco, and I'm going to be alone again…"

Charlie sighed. "This is all my fault, Hermione. When I owled St Mungo's, I asked them to see if you would fill in before offering it to anyone else."

"What?!" she shrieked, jumping to her feet and glaring at him. "Why?"

"I know you've always wanted to work here, and if I'm honest, I thought you could do with a change," he answered, grabbing her hand and pulling her back down. "I know how your life in London is, and—"

"You don't! I hadn't heard from you in _months_! And then, what, you decide to pity me and invite me here? To show me just how wonderful it is and then expect me to go back like nothing's changed?"

Charlie looked into her eyes. "Calm down and let me speak, Hermione." He paused, waiting for her to acknowledge what he'd said. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "You're right. We hadn't talked in months, and that's entirely my fault. I got wrapped up in Sirius, and that was dead wrong of me. I should've kept in touch," he said, sighing. "But I can't change that now, so all I can do is what I've intended to do this whole time."

Hermione held his gaze, waiting for him to continue.

"Pages, I invited you here because one of our healers is returning to England and we need someone to fill the position. I wanted you to come up here and meet everyone, to see how you got along… especially with Draco," Charlie explained. "This was almost like an interview, but with the whole team."

"What are you saying?" she asked, not letting herself hope that she had passed his strange test.

"Well, for starters, I didn't think you and Draco would get on so well you'd fall into bed together after three days," he teased. "But I can't say I'm upset about it. I was worried you'd hex the poor bloke the first time you saw him. I never got around to telling you he worked here because Sirius interrupted us…"

Hermione wrung her hands in her lap, waiting for him to go on.

"So, all that aside, I'm glad Draco took you around and introduced you to all the aspects of the Sanctuary because you interacted with nearly everyone, and I've only heard positive things. Iris told me about all the time you've been spending in the Hatchery, and she believes you're a dragon whisperer, especially with the little ones," Charlie said.

"Are you saying they're going to offer me a job, Charlie?"

He smirked at her, and she wondered if Draco had rubbed off on him in some ways, too. "No, Hermione, _I am_ offering you a job. That's the other thing I forgot to mention. I'm kind of in charge here now. In addition to starting things up with Sirius, I was getting ready to move into my new role at the start of the year."

Shock spread across her face. "This is… I can come here permanently?"

"Yes, and I hope you do," Charlie answered.

Hermione flung her arms around him. "Of course I will! I love it here. I was working myself up about leaving!"

"Good. Now run along and find your dragon. I hear he's been in a foul mood all day," he said.

She didn't realise what he was saying at first, and then it clicked. Draco. He'd been in a bad mood all day because of how she'd pushed him away last night.

"Where should I start looking?" Hermione asked.

Charlie thought for a moment. "I think Grace was by the lake earlier. I'd start there."

Nodding, she headed back to her quarters to bundle up against the cold.

* * *

Draco was sitting on a boulder at the edge of the lake, Grace essentially laying at his feet like a giant scaly dog with wings. In his mind, he was replaying the last few weeks on a loop, knowing that the memories were all he would have soon enough. Hermione would be leaving in just a few days and was refusing to discuss the future.

All day, he'd been berating himself for daring to hope they would have a future together.

He sighed, and Grace looked up at him in question. "Pretty soon you're going to be my only girl again, Grace. Hermione's going back to England, and she says she won't come back because it'll hurt too much."

Grace blew smoke out of her nostrils in response, clearly disagreeing with Hermione's decision to abandon them.

"You can't be mad at her. It's not her fault she has to go back to her real life. I should've known better," he explained. "But she was here, and I've always fancied her. I couldn't resist. This is why I don't want you running off with boys, Gracie — one day, you'll get your heart broken."

The dragon lifted her head and he rubbed her snout. "I know, I know. You're going to make your own decisions and I can't change your mind. You're just like her, you know?"

Looking out over the lake, Draco saw the witch in question making her way towards him, Weasley beanie constraining some of her curls. He checked his watch and realised she'd probably been waiting for him. He'd been off shift for well over an hour and hadn't sought her out.

When she stepped up to his side, she looked wary. "Hey," she said, and it nearly gutted him — he remembered how she'd said it the very first time he'd slid inside of her.

Swallowing hard, he replied, "Hey."

Grace dropped her head back down, refusing to look at Hermione.

"I take it you're both a bit cross with me," she observed.

Draco shrugged. "I know I shouldn't be. We knew you'd have to go back. I guess I'm just surprised you won't even say you'll come back to visit us, Granger. I thought the past few weeks meant something to you."

Stepping closer, she laid one gloved hand on his thigh. "Only visiting here would kill me, Draco. To come back to you and the dragons and not have the same routine we have now… It would break my heart over and over again because the time I've spent here means so much to me."

"Well, imagine how I'm going to feel, Hermione. I don't get to be the one who leaves the Sanctuary and moves on. I bloody live and work here, and I'm going to have to find a way to carry on without that routine, without you," he said, his voice tinged with both anger and sadness.

Instead of backing off, she took another step forwards, standing between his knees now. "Draco, look at me," she commanded, and he obeyed, even though he knew she would see the hurt in his eyes. "I said I couldn't _just _visit."

"Well, what other option is there, Granger? Are you going to quit your job and move up here? Or commute via Portkey every day for twelve or fifteen hour shifts?"

She shook her head, a smile spreading across her face. "Actually, I just talked to Charlie."

He felt his heart speed up. She had just talked to Charlie, and she looked happy.

"Draco, he offered me a job. I'm staying here. I'm only going back to England to clear out my flat and finish off a few things at St Mungo's," Hermione explained. "I'll likely be gone for two weeks at most."

He sat frozen, unable to believe what she was saying. _She was staying. She'd only be gone for a couple of weeks._

He stood quickly, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. "You're staying?"

"Well, I'm going home as planned to take care of a few things, but I'll be back soon enough," she replied.

Draco held her close and his hand stroked over her hair, not wanting to lose the magic in this moment. _She was staying. She was going to live at the Sanctuary permanently._

But this raised new questions, and he was afraid to ask them.

_What does this mean for us? Will things stay the same? Will she still be mine?_

Hermione pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Are you… Are you going to say anything, Draco?"

Her words snapped him back into reality. "I'm not sure what I should say," he responded. "Obviously, I'm excited that you're staying, Granger."

He watched her summon her courage, her inner lioness, before speaking. "So, since I'm staying, I feel like we should talk—"

Draco kissed her, cutting her off. His hands roamed her body, and she moaned into his mouth. After a moment, though, she brought her hands up between them and pushed on his chest.

"Talking first. Kissing second," she said, but he ignored her and pressed his lips to hers again.

Grace screeched and he broke away to make sure she was okay. When he looked at the dragon, she let out a small sound again. Draco rolled his eyes at her. "I think she's saying we should talk now," he groaned.

"Oh, so you'll listen to her, but not me?"

Nodding, he replied, "She was here first, Granger. She's my original girl."

Hermione laughed and her eyes danced between Draco and Grace. "So what does that make me?"

Taking a deep breath, he asked, "What do you want to be?"

Smirking, she said, "I want to be yours, whatever that means. Our first night together, you said you finally had me, so I'm hoping you've decided to keep me."

Pretending to think, he looked to Grace. "I don't know, Gracie. Should we keep her?"

The dragon extended her neck, moving towards Hermione and gently rubbing against her arm.

"See? She still likes me, even if you were out here telling her how horrible I was," Hermione stated smugly.

With a laugh, Draco corrected her. "Oh no, Granger. I told her that none of this was your fault and she shouldn't be mad at you for leaving."

"Oh," she murmured, blushing. "Well, I can give you time to talk it over—"

Draco pulled her in and held her as tightly as possible. "We don't need time to discuss it. Of course we want to keep you. In fact, I don't even want to be without you for those two weeks. I'm due a holiday, and I've not been home for a couple of years…"

Hermione squealed, startling Grace and nearly rupturing his eardrum.

"You're going to come with me? Really?"

Every ounce of anxiety he'd felt left his body. She was actually excited to take him back to England with her.

"I am," he confirmed. "As long as it's okay with our boss."

Hermione pulled back so she could meet his eyes. "I'm sure he'll think it's brilliant."

Grace nudged his arm and gave him a significant look. "Okay, okay, we're going to head back now. No need to be pushy."

Hermione and Draco fully broke their embrace. However, she laced her fingernails though his, maintaining a physical connection.

Walking back towards the main buildings, Draco couldn't help himself — he thanked his lucky stars that Charlie Weasley was a sneaky, meddling boss. Rodna had turned out to be a Sanctuary for so much more than just dragons.

He glanced over his shoulder, Grace was sitting on her haunches, watching as they walked away, spirals of smoke curling into the air around her snout.

"You okay?" Hermione asked pausing to look back at Grace.

"Everything's perfect." Draco pulled her into another embrace, kissing the top of her head.

He breathed deeply and smiled, silently thanking the stars for his girls.

Both were his saving grace.


End file.
